Folding food serving box



Aug. 8, 1944.

s. o. DAVIDSON, JR 2,355,206

FOLDING FOOD SERVING BOX Filed May 29, 1942 Wm MM 8 Patented Aug. 8, 1944 FOLDING Foon saavmo BOX Samuel 0. Davidson, Jr., signor to National Pape Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application May 29, 1942, Serial No. 444,996

1 Claim.

This invention relates to collapsible containers in the nature of a folding box and has for its primary object to provide a section for such containers that is specially created to present an elevated shelf, automatically movable to the operative position after the collapsible section has been blanked and assembled at the factory, yet which allows stacking of the collapsed section for shipment and storage.

One of the important aims of this invention is I ,to provide a collapsible box section formed of a single blank and comprising a bottom with perpendicular side walls, one of which is extended to present a panel, an elevated shelf, and an angular flange, the latter being secured to the bottom along a line permitting the said one wall and the bottom to lie in close, superimposed proximity to the panel, shelf and flange, after securement has occurred at the factory to permit easy and quick setting-up of the box section at its point of use.

A yet further object of the instant invention is to provide a section for collapsible boxes, usable for supporting articles on a false bottom or shelf that is elevated above the bottom of the section, which shelf is automatically shiftable to the operative condition as the fiat blank of the section is hinged about specially disposed lines of scoring assemble the component parts thereof.

This invention has for an even further aim to provide a folding service box, particularly useful in containing food and food containers when the box is used as a means for delivering meals to passengers on trains, busses, airplanes, or the like,

The particular manner of constructing a collapsible box section in accordance with this invention will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a folding food service box having a collapsible section made in Kansas City, Mo., asr Box 00., Kansas City,

shelf therein, along one side, but the matter of assembly, compact storage and rigidity of structure aftersetting-up, is of tremendous concern.

- than those integral with the blank.

The folding food service box in its entirety comprises a cover 6 of conventional design, the side walls 8 whereof fit into telescoping relation with walls In of the collapsible section 12. It is this particular section I! that must be carefully made to present a shelf l 4 that is unlikely to shift and allow the food containers disposed in openings l 6 thereof to move from desired positions.

Section I: is formed of a single blank including a bottom 18, walls It, panel 20, shelf [4, flange 22 and flap 24. Conventional lines of scoring 26 permit folding the blank so that walls l0 extend upwardly from bottom [8 in a fashion now well-known in the art. Interlocking tongue and slit 28 and 30 respectively, in adjacent walls I0, and tongue 3| with the two portions of front wall l0, will serve to maintain the collapsible section in the condition shown in Fig. 1.

One wall In along a-side of section I: has an extension 32 that lies in superimposed relation with one wall l0 and bottom l8 when the blank shown in Fig. 3 is finished as illustrated in Fig. 2. When so finished, the blank has a flap 24 secured to the inner face of bottom Is by glue or other means 34, to preclude accidental displacement and to insure a rigid connection when extension 32 is bent about lines of scoring 35, 38, 40 and 42.

Line of scoring 36 establishes a folded edge from which panel 20 extends to a line spaced above the line of connection between said one wall I 0 75, accordance with the present invention.

W Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sec- ...tional view' through the collapsed box section lyshowing in dotted lines its condition when as- Asembled; and

and bottom l8.

Shelf I4 is parallel to bottom is when the section is set up for use and angular flange, comprising body portion 22 and flap 24, serves to Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion carry the forward edge 01511911 I of the section illustrating the blank prior to ath r la ion f the parts above specified are 1 taching the marginal edge thereof to the inner as shown In 2 Particularly, a l O which allows face of the section bottom.

One of the problems presented to those serving food to airline, train and bus passengers is that of preventing the food containers from sliding along the bottom of the food box. It is desirable to use a box section having a false bottom or the two stretches to lie in superimposed relation. These stretches are flat and allow stacking of the collapsed section, even when flange 24 is secured to bottom 18. One stretch is that portion of the blank between line of scoring 36 and the free edge of flap 24. The other stretch extends from line of scoring 36 to the opposite edge of the blank along front wall 10.

when the collapsible section is constructed as defined, setting up occurs by merely folding walls l0 upwardly about lines of scoring 26, whereupon shelf II will automatically assume the position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 2.

In actual use cover 6 is telescoped onto section I: to contribute rigidity and when the box is placed on the lap of the user, shelf ll will remain in place to support food containers.

Having thus described the invention what ,is claimed as new and desired to be secured by LettersPatent is: v

In a collapsible foodstorage and serving box adapted for use as a lap table, a section formed' parallel thereto to provide a panel, a shelf, a flange and a flap, the flap being secured to the bottom in spaced relation to the rear wall and extending outwardly from the flange in a direction opposite to the shelf, each side wall being provided with an integral tab adjacent the rear wall, interengaging means on eachtab and on the rear wall to retain the tabs in secured position along the'outer face of the rear wall, the combined width of said panel, the shelf and the flange being equal to the distance between the upper edge of the rear wall and said flap when thebox is collapsed with the rear wall in a plane with the bottom, whereby said panel, the shelf and the flange lie in a plane with the flap and in direct superimposed relation upon the inner face of the bottom, said panel being along one edge of the shelf to support said one edge thereof, said flange being along the opposite edge of the shelf to support said opposite edge, and means formed in the shelf for supporting food or food containers.

SAMUEL O. DAVIDSON, JR. 

